Voters hurry up and wait for chance to cast ballots in runoff

As the halfway mark for election day passes, voters are hastily making it out to the polls.

“The line is almost out the door,” said Jon Strange after peeking into the Metropolitan Multi Service Center on West Gray. She and her daughter Heather decided to postpone their vote for now. “I live in the area so I can come back later,” she said.

But most waiting in the 30-people long line don’t have that luxury, it’s their one hour lunch break.

Zachary Nelson, an office manager at a financial company, didn’t mind the wait. The 27-year-old said this would be an historical runoff election, and he wants to be a part of it.

“We need issues taken care of right now,” Nelson said. “To do that, we need bipartisan people who will work with the President and our city council.”

He considers himself an independent, but decided to vote along Democratic lines this time.

As did Neelam Damani, an HISD high school teacher.

“My primary reason for voting today is for education,” said Damani, who teaches English at the Houston Academy for International Studies.

She feels the Democratic party is more supportive towards funding for education and hopes her vote can improve schools.

Being an independent voter in this primary runoff election is not as influential as in other elections. Voters must choose either a Democratic ballot or a Republican ballot upon entering the voting area.

The Harris County Clerk’s Office reported that a handful of people didn’t understand that concept today, and were disappointed to find that they could only vote along a single party’s lines.

“If at any point before voting, the voter realizes the candidate he wants is not on the ballot, he can call the clerk’s office and we can change ballot,” said Hector de Leon, spokesperson for the county clerk’s office.